Scandinavian countries are consistently ranked among the happiest in the world, with many people crediting the concept of hygge. Pronounced “hoo-gah,” the term embodies feelings of warmth, togetherness, and comfort, and although it has Danish origins, both Sweden and Norway embrace iterations, and the word has its root in the Norwegian hugga, which means “to comfort.”
Now, Norwegian browser developer Opera wants to send 10 people to Norway to experience working remotely from one of its “hygge desks” for a week. Each desk will be set in a different secluded cabin overlooking beautiful Norwegian scenery, like vast icy fjords or an invigorating alpine forest, where you can practice focused, mindful work next to a flickering fire and enjoy woodland walks during breaks. Hygge is usually associated with sipping cups of mulled wine by candlelight or enjoying a book while you’re wrapped in a soft knit blanket. But Opera is keen on people incorporating this sense of calm into their work lives, and it’s designed a minimalist web browser that reflects this ideal—which is the concept it’s hoping to promote with this new contest.
The streamlined browser has tab islands, split screens, and workspaces among its features, as well as themes designed to echo the northern lights and the midnight sun. “The themes represent the connection with our natural environment in Norway—a key aspect of hygge,” said Jan Standal, vice president at Opera. “We’re used to hygge in Scandinavia, but now we want our worldwide community to understand what that concept means in practice.”
Lofoten, above the Arctic Circle, is known for its amazing views of northern lights.
Photo by Johannes Groll/Unsplash
While it’s clearly a clever marketing tactic, there’s no denying that retreating to a workspace in the middle of the Nordic wilderness sounds heavenly right now. And no one does a cozy cabin quite like the Norwegians, with many luxury properties, such as Juvet Landscape Hotel, giving a nod to the idyllic cabin design.
Those interested in the Opera contest can apply for a spot until February 28, 2025, with travel taking place between March 18 and April 6, 2025. Applicants are asked to get creative and tell a story about why they could benefit from working in such a setting, and contest winners will get round-trip flights for two people, on-the-ground transportation, and a six-night stay at one of the cabin retreats.
The cabins’ location in remote nature taps into a part of hygge any outdoor enthusiast knows well: the joy of going from ski hill to chalet or mountaintop to warm sleeping bag. In this way, hygge is as much about mindful time outdoors as it is about being inside—especially when there’s a warm cup of tea to savor upon your return from an outdoor adventure.
The cabin interiors feature warm wood and natural, tactile materials such as stone and wool. There are five locations to choose from: the iconic Arctic Lofoten Islands; Ålesund and its surrounding fjords; Bodø, home to five national parks and smaller villages in the north; Norefjell, a ski resort 90 minutes outside of Oslo; and Lysefjord, a 26-mile-long fjord in southwestern Norway.
“The locations of the cabins that host each hygge desk have been chosen to showcase the natural beauty of our country and give a glimpse of our Norwegian heritage to our guests,” says Standal.
Even in unpredictable spring weather, nature is viewed as restorative in Norway, and Norwegians enjoy outdoor living year-round, a philosophy known as friluftsliv. During the off-season’s darker, cooler days, crowds dramatically thin out in places like storybook Geiranger, located on the edge of a UNESCO fjord not far from the city of Ålesund, where one of the cabins is situated.
The two northernmost cabins, set in the Lofoten Islands and Bodø, sit above the Arctic Circle and offer the chance to see the northern lights ribboning through the night sky. Travelers can ski, boat, and cold-water swim in other spots, such as Lysefjord and Norefjell.
We know that spending time in nature has myriad health benefits, and it turns out, so does being cozy. Combined, the hygge desk escape may create the ultimate work-life balance—and there won’t be anyone around to judge if you choose not to work much, or at all.
